Plastics and plastic foams have been widely used in a multitude of industrial and consumer applications. Specifically, urethane plastics, foams and elastomers, as well as other like petroleum-based products have been used in the automobile industry, for example, for outfitting vehicle interiors. Given the non-biodegradable nature of these materials, as well as the limited availability and time-intensive process for renewing these resources, the interest in biodegradable or “green” components has steadily increased. The present invention relates to a “green” raw material that can be used in the production of composite materials for industries that currently employ petroleum-based and other like plastics and foams.